Gilberto Teodoro, Philippine Defense Secretary, denounced on Tuesday what he called "dangerous" & "inhumane' actions of Chinese maritime forces towards Filipino fishermen in a disputed South China Sea Shoal last week.

Three Filipino fishermen

Manila's Coast Guard said that two fishing boats were damaged and two people injured when Chinese coastguard ships used water cannon to cut anchor lines near Sabina Shoal, Friday.

Teodoro, in a'statement,' said that "water cannoning and aggressive maneuvering are inconsistent with the duty of every state to ensure the safety human lives."

China's Foreign Ministry said Monday that the measures were taken to protect its territorial sovereignty, and described them as "reasonable" actions, which were also "lawful, professional, and restrained."

Teodoro called on nations that aspire to be regional leaders to act responsibly, and dismissed China's claims that the Chinese coast guard officers were threatened by fishermen wielding knives as "blatantly lies".

Teodoro stated, "We urge China to cease spreading false narratives as well as engaging in an orchestrated disinformation campaign by the state."

On Monday, the Philippine Foreign Ministry said that it had issued a formal demarche (or reprimand) to the Chinese Embassy at Manila. The Chinese Embassy didn't immediately respond to our request for comment about Teodoro’s remarks.

The Philippines' exclusive economic zones lies 150 km (95 mls) west from Palawan province, on the Sabina Shoal. In China, it is called Xianbin Reef, while in the Philippines, it is Escoda Shoal.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea. This waterway supports more than $3 trillion in annual commerce. Beijing's claims cut into Brunei Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines and Vietnam exclusive economic zones.

In 2016, an international arbitral court ruled that Beijing's broad claims were not based on international law. China has rejected this ruling.

(source: Reuters)